59 replies to this topic

[Biggins]

Did anyone see the news story about the development surrounding the new Cowboy's Stadium in Arlington? THey're proposing to build a scaled down version of NYC's Times Square around the stadium... and it's literally going to give Arlington a skyline when they build it. They're talking about high rise office, retail and residential developments... This stadium/team is going to put Arlington on the map. And FW isn't going to profit from this much at all.

First of all, we're fools if we think that Dallas isn't going to use the advantage they have - the team namesake. They will always be the Dallas Cowboys. They're never going to be the FW Cowboys or the Arlington Cowboys so we can just forget that. And, Dallas will get a lot of the "spin off" parties surrounding the SB... They have the higher-end retail, hotels, and dining that FW simply doesn't have. They have a more refined and high-end feel. Downtown FW is a jewel, but we don't have the hotel space needed for hosting a super bowl, and with the stadium being in Arlington, we can't justify building facilities just because repeated superbowls will be in Arlington (not FW). The majority of in-coming tourist who come here for the SB, will want to stay in Dallas - because that's where the major parties are going to be.

Second, Arlington has no loyalty to FW - if anything they have resentment toward both Dallas and FW for always looking down their respective noses at Arlington. This is going to be Arlington's revenge for always being considered a third class suburb in the DFW. (At one point they pushed to have it called DAFW) They're the city that had the initiative and foresight to go grab the most valuable sports franchise on Earth and do whatever it takes to get them to relocate to Arlington. FW is not going to share in that wealth - Arlington and Dallas will make sure of that.

Third, Arlington mayb be FW's "ugly step kid" now, but in a few years Arlington could very easly be saying that about FW... Arlington has done a lot of catching up with FW when it comes to population. Landing the Cowboys could be the thing that finally catapults Arlington out of Suburb status and into the Major City league.

I hate to break it to y'all, but the only thing FW will probably gain from this is the satisfaction of having the Cowboys will be in Tarrant County - I'd even be willing to be that most of the players choose to live in Dallas. Of course, we'll now have to deal with the traffic along i-30 that comes with having the new stadium in Arlington.... Our infrastructure isn't ready to handle that sort of traffic.

I'll believe it when I see it. If Arlington really cared about becoming a viable city, it should consider *GASP* public transit to pull all those thousands into and out of the district on a daily basis. Instead, with Arlington's infinite wisdom, it will probably end up with massive parking garages and surface lots and all the traffic snarls that come with auto-oriented development. I doubt that little, if any, peripheral development will come with the project and if Arlington didn't learn from the Ballpark fiasco, they never will.

[rantanamo]

There will be development, but the development will be hard to keep away from the new frontage roads. That means big box or malls. Perhaps they could do an open air type mall that runs into both stadiums. The parking lots will still be huge and if they think this catapults Arlington to Fort Worth status they are kidding. Is this really what Arlington thinks: Lets build stadiums, yet ignore things that make a city a city(like big business, real infrastructure, public transit, etc and their city will be a major city?

[safly]

You've got it all wrong Rant. HKS's design for the stadium and the surrounding "Sports Village" is simply off the hook, and it WILL be the main attraction. Having had a metting with their sports division officials it seems that they are pushing sort of a Downtown Disney atmosphere, but more MUDev. It will be cherry. Arlington IS in the right position at the right time. Now that they have a small feel for the DTFW condo market, guess what THEY will be providing in the coming years. All along I-30 from E. FW to 820, I'm sure of. Arlington has the name recognition with the Texas Rangers, Six Flags, and..... a wax museum. But now they have the number 1 Sports Franchise in this hemisphere. Not to mention prime views of both DTFW and DTD, plus a major Int'l airport nearby. I told you guyz sooner or later that the move is gonna bite FW in the rump.

Go Spurs Game 7!

[rantanamo]

are you sure that's you safly? That's the most pie in the sky post you've ever written. Don't care what has been proposed, it does not catapult Arlington to FW's status as a major city.

I'm not saying it won't happen. I'm just saying that Freeway frontage is very powerful. You aren't just going to get condos, office towers and the like because they Cowboys show up. That's ridiculous. You can't even give the AAC( a much more used venue than any football stadium) credit for Victory. You know better than any of us( as you would say) that the market controls all of this. I hope something does happen, as Arlington is getting screwed on the price compared to other deals across the nation. Whether it happens or not, A-town is a little priority whacked right now. They could learn a lot from their metroplex brethren.

[Biggins]

are you sure that's you safly?  That's the most pie in the sky post you've ever written.  Don't care what has been proposed, it does not catapult Arlington to FW's status as a major city.

I'm not saying it won't happen.  I'm just saying that Freeway frontage is very powerful.  You aren't just going to get condos, office towers and the like because they Cowboys show up.  That's ridiculous.  You can't even give the AAC( a much more used venue than any football stadium) credit for Victory.  You know better than any of us( as you would say) that the market controls all of this.  I hope something does happen, as Arlington is getting screwed on the price compared to other deals across the nation.  Whether it happens or not, A-town is a little priority whacked right now.  They could learn a lot from their metroplex brethren.

I agree. Also, I'd like to add that urban places that are worth a damn aren't built overnight. HKS has much work to do to overcome the general "disneyesque" feeling that a project built overnight is inevitably going to evoke. I hope the client plans on leaving gaps in the urban fabric for other architects to work some magic, because one cook in the kitchen makes for a pretty boring meal. Also, I hope it's not going to be "themes on a glass box." I've been to La Defense, and I'm no fan of monolithic architecture that has little to desire in the way of detailing or variety.

[mosteijn]

Speaking of DFW stadiums...have you heard about what they're planning to do with the old Texas Stadium site? An urban TOD village bigger than FW's TRV (in terms of no. of units/square footage)! That's really depressing that IRVING is getting a bigger urban project than anything FW has seen or will see in the near future.

[DrkLts]

Speaking of DFW stadiums...have you heard about what they're planning to do with the old Texas Stadium site? An urban TOD village bigger than FW's TRV (in terms of no. of units/square footage)! That's really depressing that IRVING is getting a bigger urban project than anything FW has seen or will see in the near future. 

Geeze, don't tear up so fast... The other option of demolition is still an option at this time. Save the tissue for later.

[Biggins]

Speaking of DFW stadiums...have you heard about what they're planning to do with the old Texas Stadium site? An urban TOD village bigger than FW's TRV (in terms of no. of units/square footage)! That's really depressing that IRVING is getting a bigger urban project than anything FW has seen or will see in the near future. 

Any advance of TOD villages as an alternative to the disposable sprawl we've been building is welcome news. If Irving builds it, good for them. Also, remember that the TRV will have impacts beyond its own "boundaries". Count on other TODs being built within proximity of the TRV, taking cues and adding more urbanity to the city of Fort Worth. The TRV is an island, but it's not an "island" unto itself... I hate puns.

[rantanamo]

The Texas Stadium site should be well served for something like that. I'm glad that site will still get a LRT stop. Wonder how it will compare to what's happening at the Las Colinas urban center. TOD is cool.

[mosteijn]

Geeze, don't tear up so fast... The other option of demolition is still an option at this time. Save the tissue for later. 

And once they demolish it what do you think they're going to do...sell the property off and loose millions of possible tax dollars for a project like they're proposing? Oh well, other DFW suburbs outdoing FW in the new urbanism/TOD department is nothing new.